Mowing attachment



vJune 3, 1930. w. 1 CHAMPION MOWING ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 22. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 Jgne `3, 1930.

W. L. CHAMPION MOWING ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 22, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 3, 1930 Unirse stares WILLIAM L. CHAMPION, or 'MUsxoGnnoxrLAHoMA MOWING ATTACHMENT' Application filed September 22, 1928. Serial No. 307,724.

rlhis invention relates to a mowing vattachment for luse in connection with motor trucks, tractors or the like, whereby a motor truck or tractork may be converted into a f mower, without'the necessity lof making extensive alterations in the construction of the machine to which the mower is attached.

An object of the invention is to provide attaching means whereby the mower may be Y readily and easily secured to the rear axle of the machine.

' Another object of the invention is the provision of means whereby the machine with its attachment may be backed or .moved rearwardly, the cutter bar remaining motionless. WithV the foregoing and other objects in View which will appearas the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruction hereinafter described and claimed, it being Vunderstood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention hereinpdisclosed, maybe made within the Vscope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

Referring to the drawings v lFigure 1 is a plan view of a mower attachment constructed in accordance with the invention, the axles of the machine being shown in dotted lines. f y

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view through the frame of the mower attachment on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Y

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the bars pf the frame of the attachment.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the attachment includes a fra-me embodying converging angle bars 5 each of vwhich carries a metallic strap, which straps are slightly curved and provided with vopenings at their ends so that they may be positioned around the rear axle housing of a motor truck, tractor or the like, bolts being passed through the straps to secure them in position.

The angle bars 5 are connected at their outer ends by means of the inverted channel bar 7, the ends of the angle bars 5 forming the frame, at points adjacent to the channel bar 7 ybeing substantially straight as at 8,

chine to which the mower is the distance between the bars 5 being such as to permit onel of the rear wheels of the maattached, to operate therebetween. f

Spaced from thebar 7 and Connected with the bars 5, is a bar 9 that has its central portion lying adjacent to the axle housing and provided with openings to receive the inverted U bolt 10 that passes through openings'in the bar 9, where nuts 11are supplied to secure the bar 9 and side bars 5 of the frame, to the rear axle.

Mounted on the bars 5, are upstanding bearing members 11 in whch the ends of the shaft 12 are positioned, the shaft 12 being supplied with a clutch member 13 loosely mounted on the shaft 12 and' secured on the shaft bymeans'of the coiled spring 14 which normally urges the clutch member 13 longitudinally ofthe shaft. rTher reference character 15 designates a clutch member which is also loosely mounted on the shaft 12, the clutch member 15 cooperating with the clutch member 13 to impart rotary ymovement, to the shaft 12, through thecoiled spring 14, for purposes to be hereinafter more fully described.

The shaft 12 is sectional, the sections be- -ing connectedby the frictional coupling 31 which, permits slipping of the driven section -rwith ,respect to the drive section, should the mower become clogged, thereby preventing damage to the machinery. Y

The usual closure platevof the rear axle housing is removed, and replaced by a plate 16 which is supplied with a bearing to receive the shaft 17 that carries a worm 17 on its inner end meshing with the differential mechanism of the truck, so that movement will kbe imparted to the shaft 17. Mounted on the shaft 17 is a sprocket 18 constituting the power sprocket of the mower attachment, which sprocket imparts rotary movement to Lthe clutch member 15 through the sprocket 19 and chain 20.

At one end of the shaft 12is a power wheel 21 to which the link 22 is eccentrically connected, the link 22 having connection with the cutter bar 23 that moves on the cutter bar support 2e' which in turn is pivotally con- L, l1,761,904YK ee n nectedto theplatel 25, at 26. In order-that the cutter bar andy its support will be held against rearward movement, a brace rod 27k is provided which is adjustably connected to the plate `25, at 28, the opposite end of the rod beingrconnec'ted to the front ,axle 29 of the machine to which the mower is attached,

by means of thev collar 30 that embraoesaV portion of the aXle 29.v l

Fromthe foregoing it will be obvious that due tothe construction shownandfdescribed the mowing attachment may be readily 4attached to a motor truck, tractor or the like,

and the machine to which` tgS attached,

o 1'5 moved "over'the ground surface to accom' plish the purpose of thev invention.

' After the attachment has'been used; it be readi'lydetached from theV machine and' stored,- the construction of-the-fattachment being such that it mayhereadily folded into a small and compact article for storing;

Iclaim:

1. A mower attachment for motor vehicles, comprising a frame formed of a pair of hars,

means.v for clamping `one end of the frame to the rear axle ofa motor vehicle, the opposite ends ofthe hars diverging and extending lae- 'A yond the. side of the truck, straddling one of the wheel-s of the truck, av power shaft mounted on the -frame,.-meansffor transn'iit-V sting power of the moto-r ofthe vehicle to the vpower shaft, and a cutter bar supported .by the frame, and means for transmitting powery lfrom the power shaft tothe cutter bar.

2. A mower attachment for motor vehicles,

comprising a'frame removably mounted on A the rear axle ofthe vehicle, said frune` including spaced bars, means'formconnectmg the'inner endsrof the bars to the axle ofthe motorl vehicle, the outer ends' of the'fbars' en! tending loeyondr theV side'y of-the"` imhicle,l ay cutter bar supportedby thetframe, a power shaft mounted on the framegmea'ns4 for trans,-

mtting powerffro'm the'motor vehicle to the power shaft, and means for transmitting f power from the power shaft tothe cutter'r Y bar.

3. In combination with the rear axle and l `axle housing of amotor vehicle,fa.shaft eX-` tendingfinto the/axle housing, means for .transmitting power from the rear `aXleto the shaft, a frame connected to the axlehousing, arpower shaft supported on the frame, means 'for transmitting movementof the first meni .i I i' tio'nedy shaft to the power shaft, a cutter bar, Vand means for transmitting movement ofthe power shaft to the cutter bar. 1 In tesimony that I claim the foregoingas my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature.

WILLIAM L. oHAMPioN.l 

